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MARCH 18, 2022

The scriptures are the presentation of the values, the principles and the precedents by which we agree to govern ourselves. This is the classic definition of a Constitution. The scriptures are not religious. From cover to cover we are presented with the reality of two kingdoms, one king, one who wants to be king, and the epic battle that is raging for humanity. When or if we make the scriptures religious, we take away their power to govern and to direct our lives. They become nothing more than a suggestion. Their impact in and for our lives is destroyed. They are in reality alive, living, breathing, powerful dynamics of choice for governance that we engage for the outcomes that we are created to desire and to engage for successful outcomes of meaning and of purpose.

12 For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the [a]breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart. – Hebrews 4:12 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

12 For we have the living Word of God, which is full of energy,[a] and it pierces more sharply than a two-edged sword.[b] It will even penetrate to the very core of our being where soul and spirit, bone[c] and marrow meet![d] It interprets and reveals the true thoughts and secret motives of our hearts. – Hebrews 4:12 The Passion Translation (TPT)

12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. – Hebrews 4:12 New International Version (NIV)

Religion is the expression of the rules and the regulations that man has composed in order to judge whether or not we are following/adhering to the things that they ascribe as important, so that we comply and fit into or belong to their group. This is not our God’s correct way of doing and being.  Our God is not religious, and His Word is not religious. Our God and His Word are both relational. Both are alive and impactful in the everyday, all of the time experiences of the living of our lives.

MARCH 11, 2022

Culture has been divided into seven primary areas with many subareas beneath each category. The primary areas are Government, Economy/Business, Media, Family, Education, Arts & Entertainment, and Religion. Each of these areas and all of their subareas, are to exist as an expression of His Kingdom to and for humanity. Sadly, these kingdoms and/or mountains, as scripture refers to them, have been taken over by the kingdom of darkness and they are operated and ruled by that culture.

5 Then the devil took Him up to a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the habitable world in a moment of time [[a]in the twinkling of an eye]. 6 And he said to Him, To You I will give all this power and authority and their glory (all their magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, and grace), for it has been turned over to me, and I give it to whomever I will. -Luke 4:5-6 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

To be effective and effectual as a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, we must know, we must understand, and we must acknowledge that our every decision is a kingdom decision. Our choice of action aligns us with the kingdom of light or with the kingdom of darkness. It really is that simple.

Here is the process. This is how we do this in our lives:

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; -2 Corinthians 10:5 King James Version (KJV)

This is how the Message translation says this verse:

The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity -2 Corinthians 10:3-6 The Message (MSG)

Which mountain of culture has our God specifically created you to go and impact? What powerful “God-tools” has He placed in your hand in order to destroy the lies and deceptions of the Defeated Satan, to bring freedom to captives, and to build His Kingdom right here on earth? I implore you to pray about these things today. Get alone with Him, spend some time with Him, and let Him speak to your spirit intimately. This is the way we discern the path He has laid out to our destiny.

MARCH 4, 2022

Are we building our eternity or are we building an experience that will expire with time? Are we building a Kingdom life, or a life kingdom? 

Are we building a Kingdom Family or a Family Kingdom? 

Are we building a Kingdom Business or a Business Kingdom? 

Are we building a Kingdom education or an education Kingdom? 

Are we building Kingdom relationships, or relationship kingdoms? 

Are we building a Kingdom ministry or a ministry Kingdom? I have supported and participated in many ministry kingdoms believing that they were Kingdom ministries.

Seeking the Kingdom first, and His way of doing and being correct, is an everyday, all the time charge for every area of our lives. No area of our life is to be left out.  The process and the results are not difficult to distinguish. We can determine and we can know with certainty. 

The Holy Spirit God speaks clearly and continually to our spirit, and we know. We hear and we recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd; we hear, and we know the voice of our Father, and the voice of a stranger we will not follow. We are to roll our works (everything that we do) upon Him. We are to commit and trust our works (all of our efforts in every area of our life) completely to Him. He will cause our thoughts to become agreeable with His will and our plans will be established (confirmed) and our plans will succeed.

Everything that we are and all that we do must be considered from the Kingdom perspective — every minute detail. We cannot neglect any area of who we are. What we neglect will destroy us, or as scripture says, it will “trample us.”

FEBRUARY 25, 2022

Understanding that we are Creatively Designed by our Creator and our Designer, our God, before we are born and before we enter our “time” on this planet, for our unique purpose/charge/assignment/destiny in/for our Eternity is both foundational and fundamental. 

Our experiencing the contentment, the fulfillment, and the achievement of our purpose here, on this planet, and for our finding the answers to our questions about “who we are and why we are here” and the mystery of who we are designed to be and what we are charged to be in the here component of our eternity, begins and rests on our awareness of this understanding. 

We must know that the greatest consideration for our here and our now, and for our hereafter, is designed by our Creator to be our before here. How and what we were designed and programmed to be, and what we are to accomplish, is written for us before we are born by our Creator and our Designer. In all of the specific and unique areas of our lives, we must approach how we think, what we believe and how we choose to act from this vantage point. 

We are not just occupying time and space while we are at rest mass, without influence and without purpose. There are very specific and very detailed plans for us. They are written in His book. They are for good and not for disaster. His plans for us are good to us and they are good for us. 

Where can we go to get away from His plans for us? Wherever we go, He is there waiting for us. No matter where we go, His hand will guide us, and His strength will empower us to pursue and to follow His plans for us.

FEBRUARY 18, 2022

Over the past few weeks in this series, we have discussed how Jesus gave us a mandate to “seek first His Kingdom and His way of doing and being right,” (Matthew 6:33); however, in many areas of our lives we get this instruction backwards. For instance, instead of seeking first His Kingdom in our churches, we wind up seeking first the advancement of our churches. So instead of having Kingdom churches (churches that prioritize the Kingdom of God above all else), we often end up with “church kingdoms” that are primarily concerned with institutional self-preservation. This is a sad reality, because it means that so many churches today are completely missing out on the Kingdom reality and Kingdom relationship that our Creator so desires to share with us.

How do we reform our churches into Kingdom churches? How do we move past a counterfeit reality and back into a Kingdom-first reality? I believe the answers to these questions, and so many others, can be found in our Constitution, the Word of God. Read these passages below, and let them bring renewal and inspiration to guide you into a Kingdom-first reality.

“Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” -Romans 12:2 King James Version

“Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.” -Romans 12:2 The Passion Translation (TPT)

“2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” -Romans 12:2 New Living Translation (NLT)

The process for renewal begins with you and me. We must personally “seek, strife for, go after with all of our might, and we must be ravenously hungry for His way of doing and being, and that will be right/correct for us,” first and in all that we do and in every area of our lives.

“3 Roll your works (everything that you do) upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly/completely to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to/with His will, and] so shall your plans be established, and your plans will succeed.” -Proverbs 16:3 AMPC paraphrased

“5 Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart (spirit) and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. 6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.” -Proverbs 3:5-6 AMPC